Documentation of my ho-hum and not so ho-hum adventures with knitting, spinning and this thing called life.

Sunday, September 2, 2007

Turning Curses Into Blessings

I think I told you that after the MS3 craze I ordered Victorian Lace Today and purchased enough lace weight to last for some time. And I began working on a beautiful stole out of the book, Beginner Sampler, pg. 58. It was going fairly well. I had to learn a new cast on. A lace cast on. After perusing several examples in the book I decided on the crocheted cast on thingy. For me it just seemed the simplest. Got it going just fine. After about the 10th row I realized that my stitch count was off. This is about the place the "curses" came into play. No biggee. I took a couple deep breaths, screamed at anyone who attempted to talk to me and began tinking back.

I put it away for the night. Picked it back up the next morning and tinked a little further. Cool, things going okay. I can handle this. I will not be defeated, hell can't hold me down!!!! Put it down to do something in the kitchen and I got waylaid messing with email. Out of the corner of my right eye I could see a little figure gleefully jumping. Gleefully jumping and gleefully tossing something up in the air over and over again. I figured Katie Scarlet had gotten into some of my stash and was playing catch. She never does that, but ya know it has been one hot summer. Who knows what those temps do to mess with our hormones and such. I gotta funny story to tell ya, but I'll wait.

I go into the bedroom and what does she have? Initially I thought she had gotten the second ball of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud, you know the ball I wasn't using. The ball that wasn't connected to the lace in progress. Then I noticed the ball looked like two balls. So I thought she had for some strange unknown reason gotten both the working ball and the second ball of yarn. You know, maybe the alpaca stirred up some primordal something or other in that little yorkie mind of her's. Of course, with me screaming like a banshee and flailing my arms around like a windmill she takes off underneath the bed. What I find is, it is only one ball. It is the working ball pulled apart so it looked like two and many, many, many stitches had been pulled off the needles. Well, CURSES!!!! I pulled the remaining stitches off, pulled out the ball winder and the swift. I very slowly and painstakingly untangled the freakin ball and rewound it. I've not knitted with cobweb weight, but people if it is thinner than this stuff it has to be like a spider's web.

But ya know what. It has actually been a blessing. I decided to use the time between now and the end of September, that is when the Secret of the Chrysopolis begins, and the first of October, when the Secret of the Stole begins, to turn some UFOs to FOs. I have had good success. I've finished Aaron's Satchel, the Jaywalker socks and the Rust "Basic Rib" socks. Pretty good huh? Turning curses into blessings!!!!

Oh yeah, I got my yarn in for the two KALs I mentioned above. For the Secret of the Chrysopolis I chose Knit Picks' Shadow, 100% Merino, in Campfire Heather. And for the Secret of the Stole I chose Knit Picks' Shadow, 100% Merino, in Lost Lake Heather and these Czech Glass Beads, size 6 in Teal Rainbow Mix.

Maybe next post I'll tell you the funny story. I think stuff like this only happens to me.

11 comments:

I love the way your Swan Lake stole looks - it's the prettiest one I've seen yet. I haven't even started mine, was just waiting to see how they turned out - and now I've signed up for the Secret of the Stole and the Chrysopolis also! (I also have some KnitPicks Shadow, in Oregon Coast and Campfire.) Never can have too much yarn or too many patterns. I don't speak German either, but will try it anyway.

I like your choices of yarn for the 2 KALs. I'm also participating in both and I hope I won't have my cat stealing my yarn, she's also very yarn-loving and killed a hank of expensieve alpaca yarn last time ...

Darn Dogs! Jax hasn't ever messed with my yarn but has had a couple fun filled days with my needles, so I know the Banshee scream your talking about, lol :)The satchel and socks look great! Your getting so much accomplished, wish I could get motivated to do the same here!

Wow you are getting a lot finished! I love your socks and your Mystery shawl yarn and beads. You are such a good sport about your lace getting unraveled, what a good example for me, I know I will think of you when I find myself in a similar situation.